Saving the pharmacy of the sea: How does global change affect species with bioactive potential in the Mediterranean?

Authors

  • Arnau Carreño University of Girona (Spain).
  • Àngel Izquierdo-Font University of Girona (Spain).
  • Josep Lloret University of Girona (Spain).

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.11.17002

Keywords:

global change, oceans, biodiversity, health, bioactive compounds

Abstract

Several marine species in the Mediterranean produce molecules with bioactive potential that could be used to develop new drugs (antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and antitumourals). Different human activities such as pollution, marine recreation, and fishing, as well as climate change, threaten and even endanger some of these species. These vulnerable species with bioactive potential must be protected, especially in marine reserves, not only because they are valuable components of marine ecosystems, but also because they are a potential source of molecules with pharmacological properties that are currently being researched for the creation of new drugs.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Arnau Carreño, University of Girona (Spain).

Doctorate student in the Research Group on Sea Ecosystems and Human Health and Oceans and Human Health Chair ( www.oceanshealth.udg.edu ) at the University of Girona (Spain), funded within the framework of a collaboration grant with the Tossa de Mar Town Council. He is a graduate in biotechnology with a master’s degree in biomedicine. He is currently researching the importance of marine ecosystems in human health, within the field of «oceans and human health». 

Àngel Izquierdo-Font, University of Girona (Spain).

Specialist in medical oncology and cancer epidemiology. He works in the Oncology Service in the Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO) at the Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital in Girona (Spain), and is the coordinator of the Epidemiology and Cancer Registry Unit in Girona. He collaborates with and advises the Oceans and Human Health Chair at the University of Girona.

Josep Lloret, University of Girona (Spain).

Director of the Research Group on Sea Ecosystems and Human Health (SeaHealth) and of the Oceans and Human Health Chair ( www.oceanshealth.udg.edu ) at the University of Girona (Spain). He investigates the importance of marine ecosystems to human health, examining how the preservation of fish stocks can contribute to a healthy diet, the importance of sustainable recreational activities at sea as a source of well-being, and the conservation of vulnerable marine species with bioactive potential. He has published more than seventy papers in high-impact journals.  

References

Alexander, M. T., & Wigart, R. C. (2013). Effect of motorized watercraft on summer nearshore turbidity at Lake Tahoe, California–Nevada. Lake and Reservoir Management, 29(4), 247– 56. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402381.2013.840704

Boero, F., Brotz, L., Gibbons, M., Piraino, S., & Zampardi, S. (2016). 3.10 Impacts and effects of ocean warming on jellyfish. In D. Laffoley & J. M. Baxter (Eds.), Explaining ocean warming: Causes, scale, effects and consequences (pp. 213–237). IUCN.

Bonin-Font, F., Lalucat, J., Oliver-Codina, G., Massot-Campos, M., Font, E. G., & Carrasco, P. L. N. (2018). Evaluating the impact of sewage discharges on the marine environment with a lightweight AUV. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 135, 714–722. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2018.07.071

Bordbar, L., Kapiris, K., Kalogirou, S., & Anastasopoulou, A. (2018). First evidence of ingested plastics by a high commercial shrimp species (Plesionika narval) in the eastern Mediterranean. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 136, 472–476. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2018.09.030

Bruton, M. N. (1985). The effects of suspensoids on fish. Hydrobiologia, 125(1), 221–241. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00045937

Cabanellas-Reboredo, M., Vázquez-Luis, M., Mourre, B., Álvarez, E., Deudero, S., Amores, Á., Addis, P., Ballesteros, E., Barrajón, A., Coppa, S., García-March, J. R., Giacobbe, S., Casalduero, F. G., Hadjioannou, L., Jiménez-Gutiérrez, S. V., Katsanevakis, S., Kersting, D., Mačić, V., Mavrič, B., … Hendriks, I. E. (2019). Tracking a mass mortality outbreak of pen shell Pinna nobilis populations: A collaborative effort of scientists and citizens. Scientific Reports, 9(1), 13355. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-49808-4

Campos, F. V., Menezes, T. N., Malacarne, P. F., Costa, F. L. S., Naumann, G. B., Gomes, H. L., & Figueiredo, S. G. (2016). A review on the Scorpaena plumieri fish venom and its bioactive compounds. Journal of Venomous Animals and Toxins including Tropical Diseases, 22, 35. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40409-016-0090-7

Carreño, A., & Lloret, J. (en prensa). The vulnerability of fish and macroinvertebrate species with bioactive potential in a Mediterranean marine protected area. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.

Casoli, E., Nicoletti, L., Mastrantonio, G., Jona-Lasinio, G., Belluscio, A., & Ardizzone, G. D. (2017). Scuba diving damage on coralligenous builders: Bryozoan species as an indicator of stress. Ecological Indicators, 74, 441–450. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ECOLIND.2016.12.005

Cheung, W. W. L., Pitcher, T. J., & Pauly, D. (2005). A fuzzy logic expert system to estimate intrinsic extinction vulnerabilities of marine fishes to fishing. Biological Conservation, 124(1), 97–111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2005.01.017

Codarin, A., Wysocki, L. E., Ladich, F., & Picciulin, M. (2009). Effects of ambient and boat noise on hearing and communication in three fish species living in a marine protected area (Miramare, Italy). Marine Pollution Bulletin, 58(12), 1880–1887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2009.07.011

Coro, G., Vilas, L. G., Magliozzi, C., Ellenbroek, A., Scarponi, P., & Pagano, P. (2018). Forecasting the ongoing invasion of Lagocephalus sceleratus in the Mediterranean Sea. Ecological Modelling, 371, 37–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2018.01.007

Derraik, J. G. (2002). The pollution of the marine environment by plastic debris: A review. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 44(9), 842–852. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0025-326X(02)00220-5

Erena, M., Domínguez, J. A., Aguado-Giménez, F., Soria, J., & García-Galiano, S. (2019). Monitoring coastal lagoon water quality through remote sensing: The Mar Menor as a case study. Water, 11(7), 1468. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11071468

Hendriks, I. E., Tenan, S., Tavecchia, G., Marbà, N., Jordà, G., Deudero, S., Álvarez, E., & Duarte, C. M. (2013). Boat anchoring impacts coastal populations of the pen shell, the largest bivalve in the Mediterranean. Biological Conservation, 160, 105–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BIOCON.2013.01.012

Katsanevakis, S., Coll, M., Piroddi, C., Steenbeek, J., Ben Rais Lasram, F., Zenetos, A., & Cardoso, A. C. (2014). Invading the Mediterranean Sea: Biodiversity patterns shaped by human activities. Frontiers in Marine Science, 1, 32. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2014.00032

Lloret, J., Biton-Porsmoguer, S., Carreño, A., Di Franco, A., Sahyoun, R., Melià, P., Claudet, J., Sève, C., Ligas, A., Belharet, M., Calò, A., Carbonara, P., Coll, M., Corrales, X., Lembo, G., Sartor, P., Bitetto, I., Vilas, D., Piroddi, C., … Font, T. (2019). Recreational and small-scale fisheries threaten vulnerable species in coastal and offshore Mediterranean waters. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 77(6), 2255-2264. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsz071

Lloret, J., Garrote, A., Balasch, N., & Font, T. (2014). Estimating recreational fishing tackle loss in Mediterranean coastal areas: Potential impacts on wildlife. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management, 17(2), 179–185. https://doi.org/10.1080/14634988.2014.910070

Milazzo, M., Badalamenti, F., Ceccherelli, G., & Chemello, R. (2004). Boat anchoring on Posidonia oceanica beds in a marine protected area (Italy, western Mediterranean): Effect of anchor types in different anchoring stages. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 299(1), 51–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JEMBE.2003.09.003

Natalotto, A., Sureda, A., Maisano, M., Spanò, N., Mauceri, A., & Deudero, S. (2015). Biomarkers of environmental stress in gills of Pinna nobilis (Linnaeus 1758) from Balearic Island. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 122, 9–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ECOENV.2015.06.035

Nieto, F. R., Cobos, E. J., Tejada, M. Á., Sánchez-Fernández, C., González-Cano, R., & Cendán, C. M. (2012). Tetrodotoxin (TTX) as a therapeutic agent for pain. Marine Drugs, 10(2), 281–305. https://doi.org/10.3390/md10020281

PharmaMar. (2020, 16 de marzo). PharmaMar anuncia resultados positivos de Aplidin® contra el coronavirus HCoV-229E. http://www.pmfarma.es/noticias/28280-pharmamar-anuncia-resultados-positivos-de-aplidin-contra-el-coronavirus-hcov-229e.html

Pipitone, C., Badalamenti, F., D’Anna, G., & Patti, B. (2000). Fish biomass increase after a four-year trawl ban in the Gulf of Castellammare (NW Sicily, Mediterranean Sea). Fisheries Research, 48(1), 23–30. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0165-7836(00)00114-4

Potera, C. (2007). Florida red tide brews up drug lead for cystic fibrosis. Science, 316(5831), 1561–1562. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.316.5831.1561

Simmons, T. L., Andrianasolo, E., McPhail, K., Flatt, P., & Gerwick, W. H. (2005). Marine natural products as anticancer drugs. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 4(2), 333–342. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15713904

Trainer, V. L., & Hardy, F. J. (2015). Integrative monitoring of marine and freshwater harmful algae in washington state for public health protection. Toxins, 7(4), 1206–1234. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxins7041206

Uriz, M. J., Martin, D., Turon, X., Ballesteros, E., Hughes, R., & Acebal, C. (1991). An approach to the ecological significance of chemically mediated bioactivity in Mediterranean benthic communities. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 70(2), 175–188. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps070175

Verdura, J., Linares, C., Ballesteros, E., Coma, R., Uriz, M. J., Bensoussan, N., & Cebrian, E. (2019). Biodiversity loss in a Mediterranean ecosystem due to an extreme warming event unveils the role of an engineering gorgonian species. Scientific Reports, 9, 5911. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-41929-0

Zahn, R. K., Zahn, G., Müller, W. E. G., Müller, I., Beyer, R., Müller-berger, U., Kurelec, B., Rijavec, M., & Britvić, S. (1977). Consequences of detergent pollution of the sea: Effects on regenerating sponge cubes of Geodia cydonium. Science of The Total Environment, 8(2), 109–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/0048-9697(77)90072-9

Downloads

Published

2021-01-21

How to Cite

Carreño, A., Izquierdo-Font, Àngel, & Lloret, J. (2021). Saving the pharmacy of the sea: How does global change affect species with bioactive potential in the Mediterranean?. Metode Science Studies Journal, (11), 209–217. https://doi.org/10.7203/metode.11.17002
Metrics
Views/Downloads
  • Abstract
    925
  • PDF
    415

Issue

Science's structures (2021)

Section

Oceans. The impact of global change on the sea

License

All the documents in the OJS platform are open access and property of their respective authors.

Authors publishing in the journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Authors keep the rights and guarantee Metode Science Studies Journal the right to be the first publication of the document, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of authorship and publication in the journal.
  2. Authors are allowed and encouraged to spread their work through electronic means using personal or institutional websites (institutional open archives, personal websites or professional and academic networks profiles) once the text has been published.

Metrics

Similar Articles

> >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.